The FBI recently exposed a cyber espionage effort by Chinese-linked hackers attempting to infiltrate U.S. telecommunications networks to gather information from government officials and politicians.
According to a joint statement from the FBI and the Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, hackers associated with Beijing tried to breach telecommunications companies to access customer call records and private messages from a "limited number of individuals." This was reported by the Associated Press.
While the FBI did not specify the individuals targeted, it noted that most were involved in government or political activities.
Describing the situation as a "broad and significant" espionage campaign, the FBI is working closely with the telecommunications industry and affected individuals to bolster defenses against continued cyber threats.
Recent cyber activities linked to China include attempts to steal sensitive technological and government data, along with attacks on critical infrastructure, such as power grids. However, it is unclear if these incidents are directly connected to the espionage campaign announced on Wednesday.
In September, the FBI dismantled a major Chinese cyber operation, known as Flax Typhoon, which had infected over 200,000 devices—such as cameras, video recorders, and routers—to create a massive network for cybercrimes.
In October, hackers connected to China reportedly targeted phones belonging to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and individuals close to Vice President Kamala Harris.
